Establishing your personal style is really about knowing and understanding yourself. It's not just about what you like and don't like, it's about being honest with yourself about who you are when it comes to getting dressed for any possible occasion, even downtime. You can like something, but also know that you will never wear it. Sticking to your personal style allows you to curate a collection of clothing that you know you will wear and prevents overwhelm; that's the overwhelm of too many clothes or the overwhelm of not knowing what to wear for any given occasion. If you feel like you have a closet full of things you loved for a minute and then no longer want to or know how to wear, it may be time to hit the pause button and figure out your personal style.
Three Foundational Things To Consider First
Consider Your Comfort Threshold
This is a legitimate question you need to ask yourself. If you're throwing on sweats or loungewear the first chance you get or that's pretty much all you wear, that's important to know. Maybe you're more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts. Or maybe you feel more comfortable getting dressed up everyday regardless of what you're doing. Are you sensitive to certain fabrics? Do you prefer natural fibers like cotton and linen over synthetics? Do you like things fitted or more relaxed? Comfort matters because if you feel good, you look good.
Consider Your Lifestyle
Your clothes should fit your lifestyle. Think about your daily activities and what makes the most sense when it comes to the clothes you choose to wear. Yes, common sense has to be a consideration here. You can still have some fun and you certainly should, but if you're ruining your clothes or struggling to find things to wear, then you need to switch things up. It doesn't make sense to have a closet full of office wear if you're spending most of your time at home.
Consider Your Body Type
Do you know what looks good on you based on your body type? It's always good to do an occasional analysis of what's working for your individual body type and what's not. Our bodies change over time so what worked a few years ago may not be working now. The next time you go shopping for clothing, try things on and bring a friend or ask the staff their honest opinion about how things look on you. You can also do this with your existing wardrobe and have a friend come over and provide some feedback. Does it flatter or not? Does the color wash you out? Get honest with yourself because no matter how much you like it, if it doesn't look good or feel good, you aren't going to wear it.
Now Let's Dig A Little Deeper
Whose Style Inspires You?
Think of several people whose style lights you up, excites you and feels accessible. This could be celebrities, social media influencers or people you know personally. What is it about their style that you like so much and is there a common thread? Could you shop and easily emulate that style within your own budget? Try purchasing a few pieces and see how they look and feel with what you already own.
Set Up A Pinterest Account
I recommend creating a Pinterest account or using an existing account to collect (pin) and organize anything fashion and clothing related that you like. This should be fun and there is a lot of fashion content on Pinterest! Organize your pins however you see fit. Start to observe any common themes with what you are saving. What colors and/or patterns do you prefer? How about styles and silhouettes? Clean and classic, floral and flowy, sporty, trendy, comfort drive, bold and sparkly? Save things that are practical for your lifestyle and also some fantasy looks and pieces.
Clean Out Your Closet
Do a relentless purge of your clothing and accessories. Start with removing anything that doesn't fit, is worn out, stained or damaged beyond an easy fix. Then go with a Marie Kondo approach of, does it "spark joy?" Do you love it or not? Pay attention to what you keep and what you toss. What are you noticing? Are there any common threads? This should start to give you a good idea of what is working for you and what isn't. Who you are is in there somewhere but it's hard to see when it's cluttered with excess. It's likely that there is only small number of clothing items that you are wearing on a regular basis.
This process should not be difficult or complicated. Instinctively, you know what you like to wear and what you don't. Most of the time it's just a matter of pushing aside distractions to really understand and refine your personal style.